USA Women Will Head To Brazil For Pair Of Matches In June

The U.S. women’s national team will play Brazil in a pair of matches in June at venues in Sao Paulo and Fortaleza that will host Women’s World Cup games in 2027. It is the first time the United States will play the Brazilians on their home soil since 2014. The two teams will play at Sao Paulo’s Neo Química Arena on June 6 and then at Fortaleza’s Arena Castelão on June 9. “We want to play the best teams in the most difficult environments at venues across the world as often as we can, and these two games check all those boxes,” U.S. coach Emma Hayes said in a statement Thursday. “We need more games in which every fan in the stadium is cheering loudly against us and I’m looking forward seeing how our team performs and grows in these adverse conditions.” The U.S. under-23 women’s team will travel along with the senior team and play Brazilian club teams in Sao Paulo. The United States has played Brazil six times in the South American nation, going 2-2-2. The Americans played in Brazil at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics but did not face the hosts. The U.S. and Brazil last met twice in April 2025 in the United States, with the Americans winning 2-0 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, then falling 2-1 at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. The United States defeated Brazil 1-0 for the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Overall, the U.S. is 34-4-5 against Brazil. Hayes continues to prepare the team for World Cup qualifying at the CONCACAF W Championship starting in late November. Reporting by The Associated Press